


Persona

by SevenCorvus



Series: Avengers 50 Prompt Table [16]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Character Study, Clint Feels, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Prompt Fic, Slash, Tony Feels, gen - Freeform, or - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 08:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/595620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCorvus/pseuds/SevenCorvus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil knew that people thought that he hated Stark, that he could not stand him. It wasn’t true, it was not Tony he had a problem with, but the persona he used as a shield. </p><p>Prompt: hard<br/>Characters: Tony Stark/Phil Coulson</p>
            </blockquote>





	Persona

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of my NaNoWriMo project, and for the prompt "hard" on the [Avengers 50 Prompt Table](http://sevencorvus.livejournal.com/24907.html). Each of my prompt fills will be covering a different character combination and most can be read as gen or romantic, I leave it up to you to decide. I will be posting a fic a day for the rest of this month (at least). Feedback is love and will be rewarded with cookies (and smut).

Phil knew that people thought that he hated Stark, that he could not stand him. It wasn’t true, it was not Tony he had a problem with, but the persona he used as a shield. The agent detested that persona, detested the glib words, and the arrogant attitude, the way he did not seem to care about anything or anyone, but more than that he disliked the fact that Tony felt the need for the persona at all.

Phil, of all people, knew the benefits of having an impenetrable mask, a hard layer that everything seemed to bounce off of. It was all practical strategy for him, a way to make sure that people looked right past him, underestimated him to their misfortune. He often used it in the field, the same way he used any other tool at his disposal. 

It was different when he was not on a mission, though he kept that same generic suit and bland mask on at S.H.I.E.L.D.. Even there it was for practical reasons. He had found that the junior agents had an easier time remaining calm, when he appeared calm, and it also helped keep his interactions professional. Yes, the bland expression helped disguise any inner concerns or emotions, but it did not prevent the people who knew him best from observing them. With them it was not any different than Natasha's charm or composure, or Clint's taciturn or cocky expression, or Maria's all business posture and tone, even Nick's bravado. They understood each other, whatever mask they might wear, and they trusted each other enough to let go of those masks at times.

With Stark it was different, Phil often wondered if he ever dropped that mask around anyone; ever let anyone see through it, get close enough to him to be able to know what was going on beneath it. Sometimes he wondered if Stark even let himself, or if he told himself that that was all there was to him. If Tony had managed to hide so successfully, that even he could not find his real self behind the flashy persona. 

No, Phil did not hate Stark. If anything he reminded him of Barton when they had first met. It had taken a long time for Barton to learn to trust him, to learn to relax around him. Phil was patient though, and determined to break through those hard walls, and it was worth it to finally really meet Clint for the first time. It had not been anything special, nothing anyone else would find remarkable, but the first time Clint had volunteered information on his past, the slightest tidbit, was something the agent would always remember. 

Clint had turned out to be every bit as deserving of his patience and effort as he thought he would be. And Phil rather thought that Tony would be the same. For while he did not hate Stark, not truly, he really wanted to some time meet Tony. He had a feeling that he was an amazing man, and Phil had been proven right before.


End file.
